We know that Detroit needs to add the their defence, and I think that we can all agree that Detroit needs someone that can score at least 40 goals. What if that problem could be solved without Parise or Semin?

Click the jump to see how

Now I’m not saying that Kenny shouldn’t go after Parise or Semin or both. In fact I am in the belief that Parise is the closest thing to post-mohawk Yzerman that we may ever see. While Semin could easily score 50 playing with Datsyuk.

Remember this guy?

Zetterberg can and has scored more than 40 goals. Its no secret that Z hasn’t exactly been playing at 100%, but his 2nd half surge sugests that his knees and back may have finally returned to 2008 health. If that is the case then your sniper is already here.

But Z is the 2nd line center you say. Yes, and he did exactly what he needed to do to fill that role, directly contributing the the career year of Filppula and helping Hudler earn a Leino size contract from some GM that actually thinks Happy scored 25 goals on pure talent alone.

Zetterberg is only 31 and not on the decline as some may suggest. He still has 3-5 more years where he can produce at a high level. Put him back on Datsyuk’s wing and you release him from the defensive responsibility of centering his own line much like Filppula last season.

The one thing I don’t like about having Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the same line is it weakens the 2nd line defensively, but add Parise to the mix and you have any combination of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Filppula, Parise and Nyquist you like.

My point is Zetterberg can be a sniper if sniping is needed from him and he is put in that role. He has a 40+ goal season on his resume unlike Franzen who only has a “potential to score 40+ goals”

I don’t think that Holland should stand pat, and I don’t believe that he will, but the top-six has some internal firepower that can be tapped.